We hung around outside the police station at the end of the ride and apparently the fellows arrested were released with traffic tickets last night.... thanks for the post Geoff
Get lost? No. Why do you need to know my name, which could be made-up anyway?
The ride was juvenile. I hate car culture, but you have to look at the facts on the ground if you want to win a war. Besides going on to an expressway (copied from a similar stunt in LA, because we don't do original in Toronto) you took along a couple kids. WTF?
Joe car-head isn't going to think we're all a bunch of wacked-out anarchist drug addicts? Not that I mind riding with those who are, but getting looked at that way is to be marginalized.
correct names help but not everybody thinks as some of us do. eg. does WTF mean Waterfront Transport Follies? eg. the Pantalone Porkway aka FSE and then the WWLRT? Going on the Gardiner was roadical, but it's not necessarily a copycat as I imagine some of us dreamed that one day we'd have our own velotube. And it's nice to know that somewhere in the huge Caronto, that the City can provide hectares of smooth pavement.
I must say I agree with 'anonymous' (even, to some extent, his not providing a name) that such a 'stunt' or event has bad optics that may actually do more harm than good.
How many people, after only reading the news report, are going to have a bad impression of cyclists for the remainder of the summer season? Or worse, be aggressive towards cyclists out of spite?
And I too hate 'car culture' in it's current form of idolatry/obsession.
As with those cyclists that ride on sidewalks, as well as going through red lights, this just gives people a reason to disrespect cycling. Even to the point of not wanting to become cyclists themselves ... not wanting to associate with, or become a part of such a 'culture'.
It is vital that cycling be seen in it's best 'form' ... as a superior mode of mobility (local, etc.), and that people want to be seen doing. Practical cycles. Normal clothes. Respectful behaviour. Friendly and courteous.
Nice to know the double standard is alive and well. Drivers can kill and maim with impunity while cyclists need to be perfect and law-abiding at all times.
Critical Mass is great when it sticks to downtown roads (ie. streets bikes are legally entitled to) and is a fun community ride for friends and families.
When it's horrible is when it does something like riding on the Gardiner as a symbolic "f-you" to a society dominated by car use and car culture.
Guess what happens when you give the finger to society? It gives it right back to you... forget being involved (even nominally) which transportation policy changes if you act like a 12 year old with a chip on his shoulder.
Do you think City Hall or the Province, or Metrolinx or anyone with any influence to increase the role of bicycles on the streets of Toronto will have anything to do with "activists" who only really accomplish pissing people off rather than working towards constructive, co-operative change?
MR, I normally agree with you as we have much in common as folks who almost exclusively ride bikes to get around town.
In this case, stunting on the Gardiner is kinda crazy, leading me to agree with anonymous in the area that we do not want to have utility cyclists being seen as more insane than perhaps we already are.
As for your 'double-standard' theory, why not just throw the concept of forgiveness out the window and start trading eyes for eyes and lives for lives. Would it be appropriate to have the death penalty for someone involved in the death of a cyclist? No!
So yes, stop at stop signs. Slow down, relax, leave the house earlier. Always be on the right sight of the law so that if a collision happens, the other person pays, not noth parties.
We all agree penalties are light for the killing, maiming and broken teeth on the streets. Tell the Minister of Transportation and vote appropriately. In the meantime, let's be careful out there.
Somone who writes as anonymous is a coward? Perhaps with the level of bile against anonymous' comments, it's just wise. Moreover, 'martino' you are exposing a singularly unattractive side. But go ahead, do another stunt that fucks it up for the rest of us cyclists.
Thanks for censoring my post martino. I'm sorry if it made sense and it didn't fit in with your "agenda". Funny, though, how many others essentially agreed with me. Was it the OCAP reference that bothered you? If you want to have a blog that allows comments, then suck it up. Otherwise you are as bad as those nice folks at the Sun, Star or Globe And Mail.
I just read an MSN-site stat of 800 million cars on the planet. Oops. Was the CM as bad as other rush hour travel on that "freeway"? Why do we have extensive user-pay for TTC, GO and the Island ferry making money, when the Gardiner car-riders don't pay a direct cent for the road use? CM can be both a joy ride and a political statement - and its anarchic nature means forethought is in somewhat short supply, but in the broad scene, the carazy things are all the single occupant cars in a line beside a train. News just in from the CBC/Insurance bureau -anyone that drives with any cell phone is 4x more likely to be in a carash. It's good to have some debate too, and maybe more of it would help.
23 comments:
Nice post Geoff. Ring Ring.
Juvenile.
so who got arrested?
We hung around outside the police station at the end of the ride and apparently the fellows arrested were released with traffic tickets last night.... thanks for the post Geoff
Hey Anonymous. post your name or get lost.
;-\
Montreal is proud of you Toronto... Long live critical mass.
Get lost? No. Why do you need to know my name, which could be made-up anyway?
The ride was juvenile. I hate car culture, but you have to look at the facts on the ground if you want to win a war. Besides going on to an expressway (copied from a similar stunt in LA, because we don't do original in Toronto) you took along a couple kids. WTF?
Joe car-head isn't going to think we're all a bunch of wacked-out anarchist drug addicts? Not that I mind riding with those who are, but getting looked at that way is to be marginalized.
Anonymous comments:
Hey, it's a matter of respect if you are being insulting.
If you have positive/nice things things to say than you can use whatever name ...
I will leave it up to you.
The Sun had a nice article today
http://www.torontosun.com/News/TorontoAndGTA/2008/06/01/5737116-sun.html
correct names help but not everybody thinks as some of us do. eg. does WTF mean Waterfront Transport Follies? eg. the Pantalone Porkway aka FSE and then the WWLRT?
Going on the Gardiner was roadical, but it's not necessarily a copycat as I imagine some of us dreamed that one day we'd have our own velotube.
And it's nice to know that somewhere in the huge Caronto, that the City can provide hectares of smooth pavement.
I must say I agree with 'anonymous' (even, to some extent, his not providing a name) that such a 'stunt' or event has bad optics that may actually do more harm than good.
How many people, after only reading the news report, are going to have a bad impression of cyclists for the remainder of the summer season? Or worse, be aggressive towards cyclists out of spite?
And I too hate 'car culture' in it's current form of idolatry/obsession.
As with those cyclists that ride on sidewalks, as well as going through red lights, this just gives people a reason to disrespect cycling. Even to the point of not wanting to become cyclists themselves ... not wanting to associate with, or become a part of such a 'culture'.
It is vital that cycling be seen in it's best 'form' ... as a superior mode of mobility (local, etc.), and that people want to be seen doing. Practical cycles. Normal clothes. Respectful behaviour. Friendly and courteous.
Nice to know the double standard is alive and well. Drivers can kill and maim with impunity while cyclists need to be perfect and law-abiding at all times.
Anonymous posters are cowards.
Critical Mass is great when it sticks to downtown roads (ie. streets bikes are legally entitled to) and is a fun community ride for friends and families.
When it's horrible is when it does something like riding on the Gardiner as a symbolic "f-you" to a society dominated by car use and car culture.
Guess what happens when you give the finger to society? It gives it right back to you... forget being involved (even nominally) which transportation policy changes if you act like a 12 year old with a chip on his shoulder.
Do you think City Hall or the Province, or Metrolinx or anyone with any influence to increase the role of bicycles on the streets of Toronto will have anything to do with "activists" who only really accomplish pissing people off rather than working towards constructive, co-operative change?
Oooh a hot topic!
MR, I normally agree with you as we have much in common as folks who almost exclusively ride bikes to get around town.
In this case, stunting on the Gardiner is kinda crazy, leading me to agree with anonymous in the area that we do not want to have utility cyclists being seen as more insane than perhaps we already are.
As for your 'double-standard' theory, why not just throw the concept of forgiveness out the window and start trading eyes for eyes and lives for lives. Would it be appropriate to have the death penalty for someone involved in the death of a cyclist? No!
So yes, stop at stop signs. Slow down, relax, leave the house earlier. Always be on the right sight of the law so that if a collision happens, the other person pays, not noth parties.
We all agree penalties are light for the killing, maiming and broken teeth on the streets. Tell the Minister of Transportation and vote appropriately. In the meantime, let's be careful out there.
Somone who writes as anonymous is a coward? Perhaps with the level of bile against anonymous' comments, it's just wise. Moreover, 'martino' you are exposing a singularly unattractive side. But go ahead, do another stunt that fucks it up for the rest of us cyclists.
Hey Anonymous:
Go Leafs!
Thanks for censoring my post martino. I'm sorry if it made sense and it didn't fit in with your "agenda".
Funny, though, how many others essentially agreed with me.
Was it the OCAP reference that bothered you?
If you want to have a blog that allows comments, then suck it up. Otherwise you are as bad as those nice folks at the Sun, Star or Globe And Mail.
I just read an MSN-site stat of 800 million cars on the planet. Oops.
Was the CM as bad as other rush hour travel on that "freeway"? Why do we have extensive user-pay for TTC, GO and the Island ferry making money, when the Gardiner car-riders don't pay a direct cent for the road use?
CM can be both a joy ride and a political statement - and its anarchic nature means forethought is in somewhat short supply, but in the broad scene, the carazy things are all the single occupant cars in a line beside a train.
News just in from the CBC/Insurance bureau -anyone that drives with any cell phone is 4x more likely to be in a carash.
It's good to have some debate too, and maybe more of it would help.
Hey, Michael B,
Not censoring anyone. Just wanna who is insulting me.
Cheers!
Btw, I could not censor anyone since I am no longer a member of this blog.
You people are crazy. Reading between the4 lines in this thread, we are dividing bike culture in this city of ours.
Make Toronto a bike city, do not inflame cyclist, burn cyclist or other put downs.
Can some one tell me the damage we did as cyclist riding on the Gardiner...we made cycling HISTORY!
Post a Comment